At the age of 17, Lieutenant Anthony Nightingale was unsure of what career he wanted to pursue.

After learning of opportunities to travel while working, he decided to join the ADF.

“I was unsure of what to study at university. I liked the idea of travelling, but having stability with the job,” he said.

From the beginning of his journey at Defence, Lieutenant Nightingale felt supported.

During the application process, he received guidance and valuable insights that helped him find a role to suit his skills and interests.

“Joining from a young age meant I got a trade at the age of 20. I was getting paid above the average salary, while my friends were either changing degrees at university or unsure what to do with their lives,” he said.

While completing his training, Lieutenant Nightingale appreciated the flexibility to explore and immerse himself in other roles. This allowed him to gain experience beyond his initial training.

“If you can justify what you want to do, and if your unit has the space, you can go and do different and interesting things,” he said.

“Having the opportunity to assist those in need through humanitarian and disaster relief operations helped reinforce my desire to deploy and represent Defence.”

Lieutenant Nightingale has now been with Defence for 14 years.

'Being part of Navy has allowed me to visit countries I wouldn’t have otherwise travelled to, meet interesting people and learn more about our close Pacific neighbours and their cultures.'

During this time, he has performed a variety of roles and is now fulfilling one of his dreams, a career change that was entirely supported by his chain of command.

“Defence has supported my desire for further career progression and ultimately a career change,” he said.

Lieutenant Nightingale is now part of a small and supportive community of aviators as a fully trained helicopter pilot.

“I love my job and flying, seeing parts of Australia I could never get to in a car, and wouldn’t think to visit,’’ he said.

"Being part of Navy has allowed me to visit countries I wouldn’t have otherwise travelled to, meet interesting people and learn more about our close Pacific neighbours and their cultures.”

After 14 years of serving in Navy and gaining invaluable experiences, Lieutenant Nightingale and his partner have been able to access the different benefits and opportunities provided by Defence.

Defence has provided Lieutenant Nightingale access to medical and dental cover, while his partner receives health and wellbeing benefits from the ADF Family Health Program.

Additionally, he and his partner have accessed the Royal Australian Navy Relief Trust Fund to help contribute to renovations for their home.

Lieutenant Nightingale describes his Defence career as ‘‘amazing, challenging, beneficial and rewarding”.

To find out how you can build your best career, visit Defence Jobs & Careers.

Learn more about the benefits and conditions of service available to ADF members and their families.